We're all mad here
by Lusitania
Summary: An Azula/OC fanfiction because I geniunely believe that Azula would not have broken down if she had some love in her life. Azula secapes from prison and is saved by a wierd boy from nowhere. She plans to return to power and start a coup
1. A Smiling Boy

**We're All Mad Here**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Avatar: The Last Air Bender nor do I own any of its characters

**Chapter 1: A Smiling Boy**

She ran, her bare feet paddling against the wet ground. She didn't care. Funny how a few months in prison would change your preferences drastically.

A few months ago, she wouldn't have run without the most expensive shoes there is. Heck, as the new fire lord, she wouldn't need to run at all—she would just sit in her throne room and give orders. But now, after the Avatar took her father's fire bending, after Zuko's betrayal…

…and after her humiliating defeat.

She is now, without a doubt, a wanted fugitive not just in the fire nation but also in other parts of the world as well, at least until they find out she escaped. This is why she can't stop for anything. Not to rest her aching feet, not to satisfy her aching stomach and not to relieve her parched throat.

Azula is sure that it'll be quite some time before they realize that she's gone. She's left, in her place, a very convincing doll replica of herself made out of piles of rocks and a collection of dried leaves. All of which were covered by a dirty blanket. She's made it a habit of not talking and not eating in the cell so as not to arouse suspicion when she left. So yes, she's planned her entire escape since the first minute she stepped into that hell hole.

Still panting, the dethroned princess allowed herself to smirk a little through all her pain. Did they really think a pair of regular handcuffs would seal her blue fire bending? How hilarious! Those metal handcuffs were designed to suppress orange flames not the stronger blue flames. It took some work but she was able to produce enough heat to bend the metal bars to get herself through and reshape it so that it looks like she never left at all.

She looked back from where she came. Already, she has no idea where she is. She's in the middle of a forest in the middle of scenic nowhere. She's been running non-stop for over 5 hours now (she may not have eaten for quite some time but her training certainly gave her enough stamina going through her to make her run for an entire day). As of now, she is probably far off the main capital and into one of the mountainous, unpopulated regions of the kingdom.

The heavy rains should help cover her tracks but her luck is running out. Already, she feels tired, dizzy and weak. Months of not eating is finally taking their toll on her.

"Dammit!" she cursed as she felt herself lurching forward, her vision blurring and, before she knew it, everything turned black.

* * *

Tea…it smells like jasmine tea…

She knows a person who loves tea, General Iroh…which means…

Panicked, she sat up, her head instantly throbbing. She looked around, expecting to find the dreary scenery of the dungeon. Instead, she found that she is in the middle of a grand, four poster bed, white curtains decorates the four posts. White and silver silk bed sheets cover her from the waist down…

"Ah, you're awake" a voice called from the doorway. Azula turned around and she found herself looking at an unfamiliar face.

She is looking at a boy-a good looking boy for that matter-around the same age as her. He has dark hair that, in regular lighting looks like black—but under the direct sunlight seeping through the floor-to-ceiling glass window, she can clearly see that it is dark red with a hint of brown and it is messy, clumps of it sticking in almost all directions in a very beautiful way. His bangs fall past his eyes and some curl at the sides of his face. His eyes are light gold, so light that it looks like neon yellow under the bright morning light. He is wearing a set of clothes similar to that of a Bang Sing Se noble resident—Chinese high collar with the shirt being closed with thin ropes and extending towards the ground, covering most of the bearer's trouser—except that it is white and gray instead of Green. His lips are thin and nicely shaped into a small 'M' curving at the edges to form a delicate smile…

"I hope you like Jasmine tea" he interrupted her thoughts once more as he brought her a tray filled with food and a steaming cup of tea. "It's the only plant I have in abundance that can be made into a decent drink"

"Who are you?" she asked suspiciously, her golden eyes narrowing towards him. He may be cute but the fire lord (or should-be fire lord) won't let her guard down for some cute smiling, stranger in the middle of nowhere.

He set the tray of food down on her lap and sat at the edge of the bed. He looked at her directly in the eye, his eyes, though soft, seem to cut through her like a razor sharp knife. "That seems like a rude way to address someone who saved you" his smile is still plastered on his lips.

"Save me?"

He nodded "I found you lying in the middle of the forest the other night. The rains were heavy and if I'd left you as you were, you would not have made it"

Azula blushed a little…who would've thought that a fire bending prodigy such as herself would be turned into a damsel in distress. Wait? The other night? How long has she been unconscious?

"For the sake of decency…" he interrupted her thoughts for the third time. "…I did not take off your clothes. I just put a really thick coat on top of it"

She looked down on herself and found out that it is true. Although she has a thick coat wrapped around her, the ragged clothes she wore in prison still clung tightly around her.

"How long was I out? You said you saw me the other night" her voice was ragged and parched so she took the cup of tea and drank from it. She couldn't help it; a relieved sigh escaped her lips as the warm, tasty liquid ran down her throat. If this kid is as innocent as he looks, then maybe she can fool him into letting her stay here for a couple of days. Her time in prison drastically changed the way she looks and with her messy hair, no one will be able to recognize that she is princess Azula—the one that should be locked away in prison.

"Hmm…" he gave some thought into it "…I just saw you the other night and you were out the entire day yesterday and it's almost noon so I would say about a day and a half"

She nodded absentmindedly "Do you think your parents would mind if I stay here for a little while?" she tried to put on her best innocent act.

He laughed a little at that "I don't have any parents anymore"

"Oh, sorry about that…" who would've thought playing nice and innocent would be so difficult.

"It's okay…" he beamed at her as he stood up and headed for the door. He turned to her, his smile still plastered on his face "…you can stay here as long as you like…princess Azula"

**To be continued**

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	2. Quid Pro Quo

**We're All Mad Here**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Avatar: The Last Air Bender nor do I own any of its characters

**Chapter 2: Quid Pro Quo**

Her eyes are wide as dinner plates, still staring at the closed double doors from which he exited. He knew she was the princess! What? Doesn't he know she's supposed to be in prison? That's impossible! Even a two year old from a tribal province knows who she is. Her evil was spread throughout land and sea after her defeat! Does that mean that he plans to turn her in? But why the hospitality?

All these questions and no answers—it's giving her a headache. For now, she settled, the steak in front of her should suffice her appetite. If this weirdo has some diabolical plan up his sleeves, then she'll just stab him in the back before he stabs her.

* * *

"I wonder…" he pondered as he looked out of his large window opening into the mountains. Princess Azula, the thorn of the fire nation as they called her, is now upstairs, recovering from a very exhausting trip. He didn't know why but when he saw her, he immediately recognized her.

But the riddle doesn't stop there. Instead of calling the authorities, his instincts told him to bring her here, at his isolated mountain villa. And even when she woke up, his instincts still told him to take care of her and like most decisions he's made in his life, he followed it. Now what?

* * *

She set the tray aside, the moment she finished her steak, and laid her head on the pillow. Although she's slept in about a day and a half, she still feels tired so she let her eyelids close and let her mind wander into dreamland.

Sounds of lightning and thunder woke her up. More than that sounds of screaming people alerted her. She quickly got up and looked around. It's nighttime already but judging from the looks of the sky, it seems that the sun has only set a few minutes ago.

Azula ran outside her room, following the long hallway, finally ending down a grand staircase facing what looks like the entrance to the house. And in that doorway, wouldn't you know it, her gracious host entered, a smile still plastered in his face.

"What happened? What were those noises?" she crossed her arms across her chest, looking down on him from the high ground she occupied. The questions came out a little more rudely than she expected. But then again, she is the princess and criminal or not, she has every right to be rude to any person.

For a moment, his smile disappeared, replaced by an innocent curious pout. But as quickly as it disappeared, it reappeared.

"Bandits"

"Bandits?"

"Yup" he walked over to the living room, which is no more than a few strides away from the large, 2-story high, double-door entrance—the kitchen was on the other side. The living room set faces a huge sliding door which opens up to an enormous balcony overlooking the mountains. "As you may well imagine, princess, a huge villa like this would attract several hooligans from who-knows-where"

There was a long moment of silence. For some reason, Azula believed him. It's crazy! The fire lord Azula, fire bending prodigy, believes in a boy she barely knows. Which reminds her…"You still haven't told me your name"

The boy looked at her for a second, his eyes, though soft and innocent, were calculating and cunning. After a long moment of silence, he replied "Glasya Labolas"

She blinked at that "You're kidding me. What kind of name is that? What am I supposed to call you?"

"I am not kidding you princess. It is the name I remember I was given. You can call me Zea"

"Zea?"

He nodded "Ze-ya…Zea" he said, pronouncing every syllable

"How the hell did 'Zea' come from 'Glasya Laboras'?"

He laughed softly "Glasya is my first name, Labolas is my Last name. Zea comes from the last syllables of Glasya…" he explained "Sya…Sia…Zia…Zea"

Azula blinked a few more times. "That still sounds stupid"

"Yes, I know…but, I'm forced to live with it" he shrugged, turning back to the window, watching as more stars appear in the horizon.

"Second question…" she began.

"Sixth, actually…" he interjected, moving to sit on the couch.

"Whatever…" she rolled her eyes "…you said you have no parents..." she walked up in front of him "…how the hell did you afford this villa?"

A look passed across his face before he's back to his old self "I did not…"

That didn't help at all "Excuse me?"

"I did not afford this villa. Look around you princess…this villa is old because it was abandoned several years back" He gestured to the aging walls and ceilings of the house. Only now, did Azula notice that most parts of the house were just reconstructed. A few still retain their original, aged self. "I found it when I was wandering in the forest. Since this area was abandoned by the fire nation and any other nation, then I figured it's up for grabs"

It's true…during the war, isolated places, especially those that were hard to reach such as this, were abandoned by the fire nation. Eager to wash their hands off of them, the governors decided to give away lands to any who wanted them.

"How did you afford the reconstructions?" she asked her next question

"Quid pro quo princess" he said out of nowhere.

"What?"

He stood up and approached her. Now that he's near, she can fully realize his physical stature. He stands around 3 inches above her. His shoulders dwarf her own. But then again, she hasn't eaten for months on end and the steak she just had is certainly not enough to make-up for the loss of months' worth of food. But more than his body, what surprised her most was his smile. From a distance, his smile looks like any other stupid smile but up close, she can sense that it is hollow. Both his smile and his eyes carry no emotion whatsoever—not joy, not anger, not even sorrow or frustration or hate. It's…nothing like there's nothing inside him.

"Quid pro quo…" he said again "…I've told you parts of my story. Now it's your turn"

Her eyes narrowed. This kid is not as innocent as he looks. She can refuse to answer him but in her position—being a runaway fugitive and all—she is really in no position to boss or bargain with anyone around and certainly not the boy who rescued her.

"First off…" he backed away, returning to sit on the couch "…what is it do you plan to do now that you're out of prison?"

**To be continued**

**A/N:** For those of you who are unsure of Zea's name, Glasya Labolas, I must tell you now that there is a reason for his weird name. It will be revealed in future chapters (probably around chapter 7 or 8). If you want a clue to what his name means, the just google it: Glasya Labolas.

**Please Review**


	3. Silver Lotus

**We're All Mad Here**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Avatar: The Last Air Bender nor do I own any of its characters

**Chapter 3: The Silver Lotus**

His question caught her off guard. Sure, when in prison, she planned to kill Zuko by burning him into ashes, kill Iroh and the Avatar and the Avatar's group of friends through several ways of torture but all of which were merely fantasies created out of anger and frustration. Her rational mind focused solely on getting out of prison. Now that she's out, what is she to do? She can't just barge into the capital—she'll be captured. What she needs is a plan…a plan to get back in and kill anyone who opposed her.

"I…don't…know…" her voice was distant, like it was said by a different person altogether.

Zea blinked up at her. For a moment, his smile disappeared but like most of the time, it was back again in no time. "Well, I do hope you come up with a plan to get back on the throne…for your own sake. You can't just spend the rest of your life running away"

"Thank you Zea!" it was the first time she used his name "The obvious escaped me!" she turned on her heel and headed for the balcony. "I _will_ have my revenge on those fools and all those who opposed me…" blue flames erupted from her hands, illuminating the unlit balcony "…I _will_ get my throne back and I _will_ kill everyone who betrayed me slowly and painfully! Then I, fire lord Azula, shall become the greatest fire lord of all time!" psychotic rage coursed through her as she shot the blue flames into the mountains, it's presence illuminating the background for a brief second before everything was engulfed in darkness once more.

"Now…" she turned back towards him "…quid pro quo. You tell me how you afford this high style of living without parents"

"I won't tell you…" he stood up. She was about to shoot him with a good dose of lightning but he continued his speech "…I'll show you" with that, he gestured for her to follow as he went to the back of the grand staircase where a door was located. He went through it and she followed.

It opened up to a huge lake glittering with…

"White Lotus?" she questioned. Although white lotuses were a high commodity, you cannot sell them at a high enough price to afford silken bed sheets and decorative wallpapers.

"_Silver_ Lotus…" he corrected as he approached the lake and took one in his hands "…it's a sub specie of the white lotus. In the morning, they look like ordinary white lotuses but at night, when the sun is not shining brightly, they glitter under the dim light"

"I've heard of these…" she briefly recalled Iroh's story of finding and keeping a silver lotus once, when he was playing pai sho with his white lotus mates. He said silver lotuses were extremely rare and that only the richest of the rich can afford them because it is so hard to find. A single flower can fetch up to 500 gold coins—and that's if the flower is small.

"These flowers grow in this lot naturally…" he explained "…it is their natural habitat. It has many medicinal properties and is in huge demand wherever you go. That is why bandits want to take this house…these flowers fetch a high price. I simply harvest some of them every month and I get enough money from travelling businessmen to last me for the rest of the time"

"So business men come to you just for a bunch of flowers?"

"I know it sounds farfetched but believe it or not, they pay a hefty amount for these flowers. They turn it into several kinds of medicine—the expensive kind" he put the lotus back in the water and headed back to the door.

Just like before she followed him.

"It's almost nighttime…" he began, not even looking at her "…you may want to change out of your clothes and into the new ones I bought yesterday. Also, I'm sure you would want a nice, hot bath"

She nodded absentmindedly as she headed for the stairs. She hadn't realized it until now but she really is very tired—too tired to argue with him. So, she merely headed for her room and took a hot bath.

* * *

It felt good. Months' worth of filth gone, eon's worth of stress vanished and for a brief moment, the hot water splashing across her body seemed to take away all the problems that are haunting her. She was almost sad to leave the washroom but she can't stay there forever now can she? With a quick look at the closet, she found the clothes he was talking about—a bunch of Yukata of differing colors. She took the white one and headed to bed.

For the first time in who-knows-when, she felt truly relaxed as her eyes closed, and she drifted off, once more to dreamland.

* * *

She woke up, feeling rested and relaxed. The morning light seeped through the heavy, white curtains of the windows. Giving her limbs a little stretch, she sat up and got out of bed, heading towards the door. Today's agenda; planning her revenge.

She went down the stairs and headed for what she believed to be the dining room which is in the opposite direction as the living room—and she was right. Right in front of her is a large, circular table with twelve seats. Behind it was the kitchen and there, by the stove, her gracious host was chopping some vegetables on a chopping board.

"I'll take some bacon with two eggs fried to a crisp as the edges, a side of mixed vegetables and mashed potatoes with a nice soup and jasmine tea…" she ordered as she sat on one of the chairs "…and be quick about it" she may no longer be considered a princess but she sure as hell can still act like one.

Zea looked back at her, a curious expression across his face before he smiled again "As you wish, princess" he turned back to his vegetables and started chopping again.

"Princess, I went down to the market earlier today…" he began not bothering to turn to her "…and I think I found something that might be of interest to you" he turned around and headed towards her.

She gave him a puzzled look before she saw that he's giving her a bunch of papers, bundled with a rubber band. Taking it, she opened the bundle and found out that it's a newspaper…

She also found herself in the cover with the title:

"Thorn of the Fire Nation: Azula Escapes From Prison!"

**To be continued**

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	4. Madness Is Good

**We're All Mad Here**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Avatar: The Last Air Bender nor do I own any of its characters

**Chapter 4: Madness Is Good**

Her hands trembled and her eyes were wide and scared as she read the article out loud. Her host went back to his cooking duties and gave her some space to take in the news…

"Thorn of the fire nation: Azula escapes from prison! Yesterday, while the guards of the fire nation were cleaning the cells, they found that the ex-princess, Azula, has vanished from her cell replaced by a pile of rocks and leaves. It is unknown when she was able to escape but fire lord Zuko is certain of one thing—Azula is up to no good! Hence, he is declaring her a fugitive and anyone whose seen her is asked to report it to the fire nation authorities. 'People are discouraged to engage in battle with her' says fire lord adviser and former general Iroh. 'She is mad with psychopathic tendencies and is also a fire bending prodigy and will not hesitate to kill anyone in or out of her way'

Fire lord Zuko is scheduled to give out a speech and a press conference tomorrow in the palace courtyard. The heads of all the other nations will be coming as well as this is considered an international crisis. Even the avatar has announced that he will be attending the conference as well. For the meantime, the Fire lord extends his apologies to everyone because of this matter"

She did not read the rest of the article as she ripped the newspaper in half and burned them completely, her blue flame eating at the very last piece of ash there is. She didn't know why she was caught off guard by the article. She should've seen this coming sooner or later. Perhaps it's because she'd rather be discovered later than sooner.

"Here's your order princess" Zea interrupted her thoughts. She'd almost forgotten he was there at all. She looked down on her plate and saw that it was what she ordered him to do. Strangely, she feels even more irritated. Is it because the eggs weren't fried to a crisp at the sides? Probably not. Her irritation is probably brought by that annoying smile on his face. It just won't come off! And to smile after hearing _that article_!

"Why are you so calm about this matter?" she demanded, slamming her hands against the table top. She watched him as he took a seat at the opposite end of the table. "If the nations find out that you are harboring and helping me, you'd be in trouble as well!"

He chuckled lightly "I just find it funny the way they described you in that article. They hit the right spot—you _are_ mad princess"

Her temper flared and her sharp nails dug deep into the wooden table "Oh yeah, you're the one to talk! Who's madder between us, huh? You're the one who's always smiling like an idiot!" she pointed an accusing finger at him "If I'm mad, then so are you!"

"Yes…you're right…" Azula was caught off guard when he agreed. She expected him to just remain silent or give her that usual, stupid smile but she didn't expect him to agree with her "I am mad…and I consider it a compliment"

"Huh?" she was dumbstruck. For the first time, the fire bending genius, Azula, was dumbstruck. Where is the compliment in being called mad?

"All great things are borne out of madness…" he explained as he looked up to the ceiling, looking at the depiction of heaven painted on it. "Bending was borne out of madness. After all, would you consider it normal for humans to become students of animals? Pretty mad if you ask me. To consider the animals of the world as the first teachers, pretty weird don't you think"

She listened to him intently. Her eyes held a tinge of surprise in them. She never would've thought that he would have so much insight into life.

"Fire lord Sozin was mad as well. His conquest to rule the world was, without a doubt, the pinnacle of madness. But, nobody can deny that he is one of the greatest fire lords to ever live" he looked back at her, his eyes meeting hers "and you, princess Azula, you are mad as well. Your psychotic tendencies led to you becoming one of the strongest fire benders in the world. Aside from the dragons, you are the only fire bender who can produce blue flames. You will, undoubtedly, become great. No, you have become great. And why is that? Because you are mad. Other people would have been intimidated by themselves when they find out that their stronger than others but not you"

"Well, you do have a point…" she sat back down, the compliment making her feel a little less irritated now "…and you do make sense. However, your little speech is not enough to justify your horrible treatment of my eggs. Didn't I say burnt to a crisp at the sides?"

He simply chuckled at that "I'll remember that next time I make breakfast"

* * *

For a brief moment, she is rather thankful that she decided to tie her hair into her signature hair style—although the two sets of bangs on either side of her face, which once went just below her chin level, is now past her shoulders. A messy hair would've been burnt into a crisp by the blue flames she's shooting.

Her blue flames danced across the sky before vanishing into thin air. She's currently practicing fire bending by the balcony, making sure the flames shoot out into the mountains so as not to burn down the house. If this house burns down, then she'll have no place to stay.

Although she never says it out loud, Azula considers herself lucky to find a house like this and even luckier to have a very gracious host. Not many people—in fact probably no one—would harbor a fugitive that is being hunted down by all four nations. So yes, she is very grateful to Zea. He's currently down at the market, buying some new stuff for the reconstructions of the villa.

Another pillar of blue flame erupted from her fist and into the mountains. She's very careful not to step outside of the balcony—it's situated at the edge of a cliff for crying out loud!

"I'm home!" the door of the entrance opened and in come Zea with bags filled with wood, some glue and wallpapers. "How are you doing there, princess?" he inquired, moving towards the grand staircase.

"Been better" she replied, not turning to look at him as she concentrated on gathering enough heat and control to produce lightning.

She didn't see him shrug but she did hear him going up the staircase, announcing that he'll work on the guest room (good thing she's staying in the master's bedroom).

Folding the thumb, pinkie and ring finger on both her hands and sticking the index and middle finger together, she prepared to dance with power. Lightning is a very dangerous weapon and the slightest mistake could prove fatal. She's used it countless of times but every time, she still feels like it's her first. This is because out of all the elements that can be bent, lightning is probably the most powerful.

She could now hear, and almost see the lightning forming at the edges of her stretched fingers. With circular motions, the lightning came to life and bent according to her will. With a rush of adrenaline, she thrust her hand to the general direction of the mountains and shot a stream of white, hot lightning.

She smirked—anyone who's been in the path of the lightning would be dead by now. Training helped get her mind off of things, most recently, the article about her daring escape. She'll need a lot of training, and a lot of henchmen, if she wants to reclaim her throne. Which reminds her…

Azula looked up to the grand staircase…can Zea bend any of the four elements? Is he a fighter or just a weird kid? Since she has nothing left to do, she went up the stairs to confront him…

* * *

"Zea!" she called as she entered the guest room where he's working on a tattered wall. The new ply wood that he just bought has already been erected, replacing the old, moldy ply wood that once stood there, and already, the room looks better.

"Yes?" he looked back at her, his face messy from all the work he's doing. Sweat ran down the sides of his face. He's wearing nothing more than a pair of trousers and a white shirt which clung to his body, probably because of the sweat running down his entire physique. Through it all, he still has that innocent, stupid smile on his face.

Azula was never one to engage in lustful thoughts or provocative endeavors but right now, seeing her host all sweaty and in a tight shirt, something inside her ran down her spine and settled in her lower extremities. The white shirt clung to his body like a second skin and she can clearly see the lean structure of his muscles underneath. Shaking her head, she settled for asking "Can you bend any of the four elements?" she cut right down to the chase.

There was silence after that as Zea examined her with narrow, calculating eyes. His face turned serious and his smile disappeared. It was replaced by a dark expression on his face before he replied, his smile creeping back into his lips and his eyes returning to its joyful self…"Nope"

**To be continued**

**Please review**


	5. Bandits Ablaze

**We're All Mad Here**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Avatar: The Last Air Bender nor do I own any of its characters

**Chapter 5: Bandits Ablaze**

"You can't bend any of the four elements? Not even fire?" she said as she watched him work

"Nope, not even fire" he replied as he hammered the last nail in place. He stood back and looked at his work. The entire wall, once punctured here and there by age and time, is now replaced with a wall of solid, thick wood. All that's left is to glue the wallpaper in place.

Azula gritted her teeth. Well this is just great—Zea is probably the closest thing she has for a henchman and he can't even bend one element? Turning on her heel, she headed for her room, planning to take a bath and change out of this white yukata.

* * *

She can't sleep. She feels tired but sleep evades her. The problem at hand is too big. She cannot enter the capital just by herself—she needs capable, powerful benders at her side. But where is she going to find them? Zea is not a bender! Maybe she could hire some nomads or maybe some assassins from all four nations—those suckers would do anything for money.

Two problems though:

One—she doesn't have any money. Maybe she can ransack Zea's finances? But even that won't be enough to buy her an army of capable assassins (though truth be told, she thinks Zea is much richer than he appears to be)

Two—she's a wanted fugitive and there's a high price for her head. Everyone knows that, although it wasn't announced in the newspaper, there will be a huge reward for any person who captures her. Maneuvering around the streets would be hard. Moreover…

Sounds of lightning, thunder and screams outside interrupted her thoughts. The ground shook a little—similar to when an earth bender bends the ground. As per her training, she quickly got up, senses heightened to a maximum. She's been trained by Lo and Li to be always alert no matter what the situation is.

She ran outside her room and down the hall. The screams and sounds of lightning and light earthquakes continued until she was on top of the staircase. The was a shout of 'No!' and the sound of lightning—worse than the sound of lightning, it was the sound of several lightning and thunders compressed together—before everything turned quiet…eerily quiet. Not even crickets can be heard or not even the rustling of leaves as the wind blows.

Then, the doorknob to the entrance turned and immediately, Azula went into a fighting stance. She's occupying high ground, she has the advantage if the trespasser is looking for a fight.

To her surprise, it was Zea who entered, a smile on his lips, humming an unfamiliar tune to himself.

"Zea!" she shouted as she relaxed her stance.

Her voice seemed to catch him off guard as he jumped a little while locking the door. He turned around and beamed at her. "Princess, what are you doing up so late?"

"Can't sleep…" she began "…moreover, what were those noises?"

"Bandits" he replied, just like the last time.

"I heard lightning and thunder but it's not raining and I highly doubt a bandit can bend lightning…" she crossed her arms across her chest "…there were some light earthquakes as well. I'm guessing there was an earth bender"

"Yup" he nodded "They're all taken care of"

Azula narrowed her eyes. Then she noticed something "What's that red stain on your shoes?" his long, Chinese collared shirt covers his trousers but not his white shoes.

His eyes narrowed a little—too little to be noticed by an untrained eye—but to Azula, he might as well have closed his eyes.

"Their blood" he said plain and simple, his smile not even twitching.

Her hands moved to her sides as she went down the steps of the staircase. It was then did she notice that the two windows on either side of the double doors were glowing.

"Open the door" she commanded as she continued her descent.

"Why? There's nothing to see outside that may interest you"

"I'll say when something is interesting or not" She reached the ground floor but she didn't stop as she headed towards him

He nodded "I burn their body parts to ashes. Saves me from a lot of digging and rotting corpses-I hardly think that qualifies for interesting" with his easy smile, it's as if death is a daily part of his life.

She reached him and shoved him to the side. He did not protest, not even when she opened the door to see what it was he was trying to hide.

As the princess of the fire nation, and a ruthless commander to boot, Azula has been to many battlefields but nothing could've prepared her for what she saw…

Body parts lay strewn across the green lawn. Decapitated arms, legs and heads were set alight by fire, being burnt to turn black. Some of the heads are missing part of their skulls like the entire upper right side or the lower jaw. In some areas, all that's left of the victim was a burnt shoe. Some of the earths are raised slightly—a product of earth bending—it's tips stained with red.

For some reason, the scene made her furious—not because a lot of people were dead…she'll probably kill more people in her rebellion—but because she felt like she's been lied to. Is she to believe that someone who cannot bend can kill an army of bandits?

"You told me you're not a bender!" she turned to him, her teeth gritted against one another.

His smile is ever present on his lips as he replied "No, I told you I cannot bend any of the four elements. I never said that I am not a bender"

"What?" she's not really in the mood for riddles so she allowed blue flames to erupt from her fists.

"I can neither bend water, nor air, nor earth nor fire…" he tilted his head to one side, still beaming at her despite the fact that she's about to give him a good dose of blue flames for dinner "…I bend things beyond simple elements. I bend light and shadow"

His ridiculous answer was the last straw. Spinning on her heel, she gathered momentum for the flame to gather then she thrust her fist forward and shot a stream of blue flame in his direction. The flame illuminated the lawn as it made its way to its target.

Zea grinned as he watched the blue flame come ever closer. Then, raising his index finger and pointing at the fire, he gathered a multitude of light particles, appearing like white dots around his finger, and shot a stream of light in the middle of the blue flame, cutting it in half and destroying it.

Azula's eyes widened as she saw the beam of light split her flames in half and fly towards her at astonishing speeds. It approached her, closer and closer, and closer…

**To be continued**

**Please review**


	6. Yin and Yang

**We're All Mad Here**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Avatar: The Last Air Bender nor do I own any of its characters

**Chapter 6: Yin and Yang**

She's never felt fear in her entire life. Not even when she was sentenced to a lifetime of imprisonment. But now, everything seemed to move in slow motion as the light beam, still connected to Zea's index finger, moved towards her.

Suddenly, it stopped, just inches from her nose.

"Do you see, princess…" Zea began, the light attached to his index finger illuminating the lawn "…although I cannot bend any of the four basic elements, my command over other things outside them is impeccable and unrivaled" with a flick of his wrist, the light vanished in thin air. "This is my abnormality…" his smile disappeared and looked at the ground. If she didn't know any better, she'd say he's sad "…I cannot gather heat to produce fire. I cannot get my body stable to bend earth. I cannot harmonize with my surroundings to bend wind and water."

The garden was once again engulfed in the orange light the fires that's burning the now, almost unrecognizable body parts of the bandits. "I can only bend light…and…"

Suddenly, Azula felt a hand grab her feet below her. She looked down and is horrified at what she saw—from her shadow, a set of black skeletal hands emerged. Black dripped off from the fingers as if they were blood. She was speechless—she's never seen something like this before.

Her breath got caught in her throat as she heard groaning sounds around her. She looked around and saw a more horrifying scene—wherever there was shadow, a skeletal figure emerged, darkness dripping off their ribs and skulls as they seemingly try to emerge from the ground, like a baby trying to get off a mother's womb.

"…as a general rule of Yin and Yang…" Zea began "…light cannot exist without darkness and darkness cannot exist without light. Since I can bend light, I can command darkness. Do you now see, princess? I am a warrior far worse than an Avatar. Fire and water bows on my command. Why? Because fire manifests itself in the form of light and water reflects light. Earth creates shadow. The moment they creep up from the ground, I can crumble them immediately; they fall under the pressure of their own shadow. And air…well; I haven't really faced any air benders. I bend light by gathering light particles in the air, much like fire gathering heat. I bend shadows by harmonizing myself with my surroundings, like earth benders do with earth"

Zea explained everything with an easy smile—a smile projecting neither joy nor sorrow nor anger nor malice—a smile devoid of any emotions, an expression, as hollow as an old, abandoned house.

"Oh?" Zea and Azula's attention shifted to a movement to the corner. They both turned towards the source only to find one of the bandits, choking blood, trying desperately to stand.

"A survivor?" Zea's face turned to that cute, curious expression he sometimes show "Well that's rare" he gestured towards the general direction of the man flicked his hand upwards. Suddenly, three skeletal figures emerged from the man's shadow and held him down.

"No! No please don't!" the survivor begged through his bloody mouth, desperately trying to shake the shadows off him, but to no avail.

"Hey, princess…"

"Huh?" it was very uncharacteristic of her but this night has been filled with so much revelations, she'll allow herself the luxury of stupidity—just this once.

Zea beamed at her "Do you know what the best source of light is during the night?" he pointed upwards, towards the sky.

She looked up and saw what he's pointing at "The moon?"

She heard him snicker and saw him trembling under the weight of his own amusement. His smile grew and grew, teeth clenched tightly together. His innocent, dumb smile turned lunatic, mad, insane…cannibalistic…

…then…

…he yelled **"**_**Descend!"**_

The next thing she saw was beyond her imagination—a huge stream of light came down from the moon, like hundreds of lightning striking down towards the ground, compressed into a single, thin beam of light, ending at a point, charging towards its target.

When it reached its target, it made a sound, great and powerful, like an army of thunders roaring all at once. It illuminated the surrounding area for a couple of seconds, wind blowing in all directions, before it disappeared, leaving only darkness in its wake.

What's left of the man is his lower body and his upper jaw. Anything between his waist and his lower jaw disintegrated, leaving only a huge mass of blood.

"It's getting late now, princess…" Zea's voice, once again calm and composed, snapped her out of her reverie "…please retire for the night. I'm sure you are pretty tired"

* * *

He allowed himself to let out an exasperated sigh as he took off his clothes and stepped into the warm water of his bathtub. Truth be told, he would have preferred it if princess Azula had not found out about his light and shadow bending abilities but there's just something about her. She's very similar to him…only more subdued…more disciplined and more stable.

Azula, carries with her an air of power and thirst for even more of it. Her temper is variable and her moods are unpredictable. She truly is mad. But then again, so is he after all, what kind of a person would help and nurse and harbor the most dangerous person in the world right now and that's only half of the story.

The other half of his story is something that he'd rather not ponder on as he decided to just clear his mind, like always, and smile to himself.

* * *

"Madness" he heard her say from behind him. He's currently tending to his garden, segregating the mature sliver lotuses from the young ones.

"Excuse me?"

"Madness" Azula repeated as she approached him. It's been over a week since he revealed his secret ability and only now did she find enough composure to confront him about it "you said that madness is good and that it bears the greatest people of all" she stopped when she was close enough to him "I am not someone who gives compliments that easily so let me tell you to listen carefully—you are a great and powerful bender. Your abilities would be an essential part of my rebellion. No, it'll be an essential element to my return to power!"

He was silent for a long moment, looking at her with those golden eyes. His smile is not present but his face isn't really a picture of seriousness either.

**To Be Continued**

**I would like to take this opportunity to thank my reviewers. I was going to e-mail you guys a thank you note but I can't insert an image in FF private messages and I don't know your e-mails.**

**Please Review**


	7. Happy Birthday

**We're All Mad Here**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Avatar: The Last Air Bender nor do I own any of its characters

**Chapter 7: Happy Birthday**

"I'm sorry princess…" he finally replied as he turned back to his work "…but I'm quite satisfied here. Everything I need is right here in this villa"

Her knuckles turned white as she tightened her fists. Azula doesn't do well in rejection "IF YOU DON'T JOIN ME THEN THIS VILLA WILL BE BURNT TO THE GROUND. I'LL STRIP YOU OFF YOUR CLOTHES AND TIE YOU TO A CROSS AND FORCE YOU TO WATCH AS I BURN YOUR PRECIOUS FLOWERS!"

He merely laughed at her as he stood up and approached her. He put a hand on her shoulder and beamed "No you won't. You like this place far too much" with that, he re-entered the house, leaving her outside to ponder on what he said.

It is true, she likes it here. Partly because this is the only place she can stay in and partly because the house is nice. It reminds her of their vacation home back at Ember Island. Of course, the architecture of both are completely different but they both emit that 'home' feel. Whenever she looks around or come in after a short stroll in the garden, she breathes a sigh of relief and feels a sensation of "I'm Home"

Both reasons why she likes this place has a common factor—Zea. He's just so entertaining and forgiving. She knows that she deserves to get whatever she wants and that she has every right to insult him every day but not yet. She'll earn those rights once she becomes fire lord once again. She's a fugitive, a lowly fugitive. It's painful for her to admit it but it's the truth and yet, he still treats her like she's a princess.

Almost in a daze, she followed him inside and when she entered, she saw him at the entrance, looking at her and grinning like a maniac. In his hands, he held a large box covered in beautiful wrapper. "16 years ago today, fire lord Ozai declared the birth of his second child, a daughter named Azula"

Her eyes were wide as dinner plates as he presented her the box. She's never celebrated her birthday before. Her father constantly trained her and distracted her from any activities that are not related to being a fire lord. So technically, this is her first birthday celebration. With shaking hands, she took the box from his hands.

"Thank you" the words sounded foreign, as if someone else spoke it. She ripped the paper with her sharp fingernails and opened the box. Inside, buried in a multitude of colorful paper was an outfit similar to a fire nation uniform. Not only that, it is similar to _her_ fire nation uniform. And underneath it is a cape and accessories which resembles the ones used by a fire lord.

"I had the costume shop downtown make it for you. I figured you'd be more comfortable wearing something like that than a thin yukata bought from a random store"

She's still confused. Not because he knows when her birthday is—she's a princess and her birth was announced to every corner of the world. But, why would he celebrate her birthday? Better yet, why would people celebrate their birthday? It's something that she never got because she never celebrated it. What was the point of celebrating the day you went out of the womb of a woman who thought you were a monster?

"Why don't you change into those…" Zea interrupted her thoughts—damn this guy just loves interrupting her silent musings—and pointed at his gift to her "…and we'll start the celebration"

"Should I be celebrating when I need to focus on reclaiming my right as fire lord?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Princess, birthdays are the one time of the year when you get to have a day-off. Come on, it'll be fun. Go upstairs and change"

Leaving with a shrug, she did as she was told. She's got nothing better to do anyway.

Comfortable, that's what it is. Being back in the same fire nation uniform is simply comfortable and the fire lord cape suit her very well—even more reason why she should become fire lord. Her hair is tied in its signature bun with a gold ring keeping it together with the help of three gold sticks. Satisfied with how she looks, she made her way to the living room, where her host awaits her.

"Zea" she called as she reached the Grand staircase.

He looked up from what he's doing and his smile disappeared, replaced with an unexplainable look—something akin to admiration and appreciation. For a moment, she saw a flash in his eyes before his entire face morphed into that hollow mask he's been wearing since day one.

"That look suits you princess…" he praised "…and the cape looks good on you too"

"Yes, it comes with the 'I'm a born leader' package when you exit your mother's womb" she went down the steps, her head held high like a proper tyrant. She now realizes what Zea is doing—he's giving her not only a birthday celebration but a piece of what she's been aspiring for since her defeat. She wants power, she wants to feel it, touch it, as if power was something tangible. It is small in comparison but wearing a fire lord uniform makes her feel as if she's regained what she's lost. Her blood, the blood of a tyrant, runs in her veins and they seemed to connect with the uniform. The cape, the golden accents, the hair clip—everything seems to be a part of her, like a limb or secondary skin. It truly is magnificent.

She was about to step off the last step of the stair case when a loud banging resounded in the house and an obnoxious voice accompanied it saying "This is the fire nation royal guard, open this door immediately!"

**To be continued**

**Please Review**


	8. The Royal Guard

**We're All Mad Here**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Avatar: The Last Air Bender nor do I own any of its characters

**Chapter 8: The Royal Guard**

She's standing on a crossroads now. She can kill those guards no problem but she doesn't know if she can kill _all_ of them. She has no idea how many guards are there. If she hides—well hiding has never been a hobby of hers but she could make an exception—then can she really trust Zea to keep her secret?

"Please return to your room princess" he said after a short while "I'll take care of them" he smiled at her, his face calm and composed.

Azula nodded before turning back and heading upstairs "If you tell on me, I will strip you naked, tie you to a stick and roast you over a fire I made myself, you got that?" she threatened before disappearing into the corridor.

He merely laughed at her, moving to open the door the moment she was out of sight.

* * *

Ty Lee was about to knock again when the huge doors of the mansion opened to reveal a boy, around the same age as her, with dark hair and light eyes. There was a smile plastered across his lips.

"May I help you?" he said

"Yeah, I'm Ty Lee, a member of the royal guards and these are my comrades…" she gestured to the men behind her "…we came here to gather information on a missing prisoner. I'm sure you were made aware of Azula's escape from prison"

"Ah yes, I have. However, I do not see why you're telling me this. Is the fire nation insecure about its dissipation of information that they have to send one of the most prominent warriors of the kingdom just to warn me?"

"Well, kind of…" Ty Lee smiled at the young boy "…you see, being atop a mountain and cut off from any form of civilization, we just want to make sure that you're updated. We're very much aware that this is one of the many properties the fire nation gave away because of its impractical location—demanding an over 7 hour walk from the main village and all"

Zea relished the memory that fact brought. So desperate was the fire nation to rid themselves of far-off lands that they even gave some to 2-year olds and he was eight when this villa was given to him. "I'm very well updated, thank you. I come down the city everyday so I know the latest news" He tightened his grip on the door, about to close it when the braided girl stepped her foot inside the house

"There's one more thing…" her tone changed to a more serious note "…we'll need to do an inspection of your house"

He narrowed his eyes just a little before giving her a wide smile and stepped aside "please, feel free to roam around. Just don't touch my lotuses"

Nodding, Ty Lee entered the house and looked around, commanding her troop to follow. The house was nice, mainly white and quality wood of build. It has birthday decorations all around it "Are you living with someone or are you throwing yourself a birthday party?"

"I'm not living with someone. Today is my deceased mother's birthday. It would be rather rude if I not celebrate it. I always wish to act like she's here" If looking good in a fire lord uniform comes with the 'I'm a born leader' package then lying without flaws comes with the 'I'm a born monster' package

"Well that's curious…do you know that today is also Azula's birthday" she narrowed her eyes, wanting to corner him.

"Yes and she shares it with over 800,000 other people. What's your point?" through it all, he never twitched nor showed any signs of lie.

"Oh…" for a second, Ty Lee felt genuinely embarrassed, and stupid, for bringing up such a topic "…I'm sorry"

"It's okay" he replied as he watched the guards roam around his house for any signs of Azula. His smile disappeared when they went down the hall, where the master's bedroom is at.

* * *

Azula's head snapped back to the door of the master bedroom. She could hear the heavy footsteps of the guards roaming the house and by the sound of it, they're nearing her hiding place.

"Let's check this bedroom" the roar of one of the guards echoed through the halls as he pointed to the master bedroom. They opened the door to find that, like most of the rooms, it's empty. He commanded his fellow guards to check every one the cabinets, under the beds and the bathroom for any signs of life.

"Sir, we found nothing" one of the guards reported after several moments of search.

The commander nodded as he gestured for his men to exit.

* * *

Azula let out a sigh of relief as she heard the guards' footsteps move away from her. She didn't hide in the master bedroom, she hid in the room that's being reconstructed. She tore down one of the newly erected ply woods and hid in the crevice made, using the torn wood to cover herself. With the wood in place, it's as if she was never there at all. Zea won't be too happy about the torn wall but to hell with him!

* * *

"…so that's when I found out that the rope was too thin and that's why it burned my toes and did you know that using herbal plants on your hair could actually make it softer? You should try it. You have great hair and a great color too. I can't remember the last time I saw a red head like you. What do you use in your hair? Gel? Oil? Ooh, I know a great hair product that…" Ty Lee kept on going, telling her story to the boy in front of her, not realizing that the said boy was not paying attention to her.

Zea is always open to conversation. However, with Ty Lee, it felt more like an interview, with Ty Lee being the interviewee. She just won't shut up! He could die listening to her...

"…and that's when I told Mai that you could never wear too much pink and lace and frills…" Zea could almost see himself, lying on the floor lifeless, flies flying around his body and vultures pecking at his eyes while Ty Lee drabbled on and on and on about this and that and that and this. God! Where's a pack of stupid bandits when you need one?

"Ma'am…" one of the guards approached them, interrupting Ty Lee's tirade of stories (much to Zea's pleasure) "…we found nothing weird here"

The circus girl nodded and gestured for the soldiers to exit. Then, she turned to the boy "Thank you so much and sorry for the inconvenience" she bowed. She's rather happy that there are no anomalies found. This boy is _handsome_ and she really didn't want to see him locked up in her dungeon.

"No, no, it's no trouble at all" he fought the urge to shout a scream of delight—he won't have to listen to her anymore!

Ty Lee smiled before leaving the house, allowing Zea to close the door.

* * *

"You can come out now princess. They've left" Zea stared at the wall—the wall he worked hard to rebuild—and waited for Azula to come out.

A portion of the wall shook a little before she stepped out, a little more messy than when she entered but the outcome would've been worse had she not hidden properly. "How'd you know I would hide here?"

Zea smiled sadly at that "Because I did the same thing when I was running away several years back"

Azula frowned at his response. Running away? Why would he run away? Did he do something in the past? Something horrible like she has? For as long as she stayed here, nothing made her more aware of her environment than right now. She's never realized how little she knows her host. Who is he? Where are his parents? Where did he come from?

"Come, princess. It's still your birthday. It would be wrong for us not to celebrate it"

The princess nodded as she took a few more steps away from the wall and dusted herself off. "Zea, it's still my birthday"

"That's what I just said. It's still—"

"So I still get whatever I want" she cut him off. Now is the time to answer all the mysteries that's been bothering her. Who is Glasya Labolas? Why is he alone? Why did he run away? Where did his name come from? _Who is he?_

"I won't help you in the coup if that's what you want" Although he didn't frown, the seriousness in his voice was loud and clear.

"No, that's not what I want" she approached him until she was just inches from him. She looked up straight to his eyes, her own narrow and calculating "what I want is an honest answer to my series of questions"

Zea's smile disappeared. His face contorted to that of confusion, worry and most of all, anxiety. Absently, he nodded.

"Glasya Labolas…who are you?"

**To be continued**

**Please review**


	9. GlasyaLabolas

**We're All Mad Here**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Avatar: The Last Air Bender nor do I own any of its characters

**IMPORTANT A/N: Lines separate flashbacks and the present dialogues**

**Chapter 9: Glasya Labolas**

He knew this moment would come. He knew if he kept the princess, then she'll ask about him sooner or later. However, being around her just made him so relaxed and calm, like everything will be okay the next morning. But now, everything changed when she asked that haunting question.

'_Who am I?'_ he thought. It was a question he knows so much yet wants to tackle so little. Who he is—he'll never forget it. His name is an everyday reminder of what he is.

"I know your name but what about your background?" Azula continued when he did not answer. For the first time, he looked lost for words. His eyes were glazed and distant "Where did you come from? Why Glasya labolas? What happened to you and your family?" normally, she wouldn't show any hint of interest on anybody but Zea…around him, she's just so comfortable. She wants to know if it is okay to be comfortable around him. Is he safe to be around? Although she is a powerful bender, he has shown himself to be more powerful than her.

"Let's talk in the living room" he finally spoke as he turned and headed to the said area of the house. She followed him, waiting anxiously for his response.

"Do you know who Glasya Labolas is, princess?" he began, as they made their way downstairs. She didn't answer—she didn't need to. He knows she doesn't know where that name came from. If she knew, then she probably won't ask. "Truth be told, Glasya Labolas is only my first name. I was never recognized as part of my family so I never had a last name"

"Many years ago, they said that King Solomon sealed 72 demons in a container…" he sat on a chair when they reached the sofa with Azula taking the seat opposite his. "…one of the spirits was Glasya Labolas, the 25th demon…"

* * *

"_He's a demon! He must be destroyed!" he could hear the angry yells of his father scolding his mother. He is but 7 years old and already, he's being subjected to such labels. Why was he being shunned by society? Why was he being locked in a cramped, dark and damp room? Why wasn't he allowed to see the sun, to feel the wind, to talk to a person?_

_Is it because of his ability? Of course it is. Nobody can bend light and shadows as well as he can. Heck, nobody can do that! He can kill a mob with just one strike._

"_Demon or not, he's still our child!" the desperate voice of his mother tore through his heart. She's probably the only one who showed him any sign of affection. Everyone else was frightened of him._

"_He's not _my_ child. My genes would not bear such a monstrosity! You were obviously impregnated by a devil you slut!"_

_A scream…_

_A scream by his mother. The smell of fresh blood seeped through the crevices of the door. He's shaking now. He already knows what happened to his mother…_

…_he's next._

* * *

"…he appears in the form of a dog with wings…" Zea's hand reached for the inside of his collar where he pulled a gold necklace with an emblem—a wolf with wings like an angel. It was a family heirloom

* * *

_The door opened and he saw the silhouette of his father, bloody and messy. His expensive suit sullied by the blood of his wife. He's holding a sword in one hand—it was stained with blood._

"_You did this to us" he said, with voice hoarse._

_The boy looked behind the man, where the figure of his mother lay. She was looking at him with worried eyes. "Run" she choked before her body turned lifeless._

_Something sparked in him, something snapped. Will he be like that? Will he die a bloody death? He looked back up at his father as the man raised the blade above his head, ready to strike down…_

_Oh God! He's gonna die! He doesn't want to die! He wants to live! He doesn't want to spill blood! He doesn't want to die! He doesn't want to die! He doesn't want to die! He doesn't want to die! He doesn't want to die! He doesn't want to die!_

_He screamed as the sword came down…_

* * *

"Glasya Labolas was also the author of bloodshed…"

* * *

_The next thing he knew was staring at the gaping hole his lightning made in his father's chest. His blood flooded the room as he fell to his knees and dropped the sword._

_Moving quickly, he went to his mother. Her lifeless body is covered in blood. With trembling legs, he kneeled beside her, his torn, worn out trouser turning red with her blood. "Mom?"_

_She choked, a little blood coming out of her mouth and dripping to the side. She looked at him, her eyes glazed and wet. There was a long gash that extends from her left shoulder down to the right side of her waist. Blood was pouring out of it like waterfalls. _

_Through it all, though, she managed a weak smile "My son…I Love…y—" she never got to finish it as her whole body went limp and her eyes remained still in a moment of time._

"_Mom?" he sobbed as he felt tears stinging his eyes "Mom? Mommy? Mom say something!" he nudged at her body violently, trying desperately to rouse the dead but it's no use. She's dead. Someone who bends light and shadow cannot heal, they cannot resurrect. They can only kill and cause harm._

_His hands flew at his hair, tearing at the red strands as he cried his eyes out. He wept and sobbed but nothing would bring her back, no one can help him. No one _will_ help him._

_Suddenly, the door burst open and a man from the village barged in "I heard screaming and—" he was interrupted by the scene in front of him._

_Zea knew what it must look like—two bloody dead bodies, one demon child covered in their blood._

"_Oh my God" the man whispered as he took a few steps back. He's obviously shaken. To him, he's probably looking at a real demon._

"_It's not what it looks like!" he screamed but the man didn't listen as he turned around and screamed:_

"_THE DEMON CHILD HAS KILLED HIS PARENTS!"_

"_I DIDN'T KILL THEM!" Zea screamed as he, on instinct alone, thrust his middle and index finger forward shooting a stream of lightning towards the man. In a few seconds, the boy is staring at a third body, its head gone, disintegrated by the lightning he shot. _

_There was another scream outside—a passerby probably saw the entire episode—and almost immediately, the dim houses lit up and out come the men with their torches and pitchforks and swords. Some were unarmed—the benders._

_He knows that he's next—he'll be the fourth corpse of the night. But he doesn't want to die!_

_Zea was paralyzed as the mob approached their house closer and closer._

_They'll kill him, slaughter him and burn him._

'I'm innocent'_ his mind chanted._

_They're coming closer, the distance decreasing…_

'I don't want to die! I don't want to die! Idon'twanttodie! Idon'twanttodie! Idon'twanttodie!Idon'twanttodie! Idon'twanttodie!Idon'twanttodie!Idon'twanttodie!Idon'twanttodie!Idon'twanttodie!'

"_Get him!" he heard one man shout_

'I'm innocent'

"_He's a danger to all of us!"_

'Don't kill me!'

"_Burn him to death!"_

'I want to live'

"_Send him back to the abyss from which he came!"_

'I want to grow up'

"_Kill Him"_

''.To...Die'

* * *

"…and of manslaughter…."

* * *

_They're coming closer and closer until one fire bender stepped inside the house and shot a burst of orange flame towards him._

_There was a scream. Was it his or the townspeople's?...Or maybe it was the shadows?_

**A/N: **I am desparately trying to upload a drawing of Zea in Deviantart but for some reason, I can't. The drawing is rough and mediocre but it should give you guys an idea on what he looks like. Anyway, I'll keep trying and send you guys the link when I'm through.

**To be continued**

**Please Review**


	10. Light and Shade

**We're All Mad Here**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender nor do I own any of its characters

**Chapter 10: Light and Shadow**

"I believe I have no need to tell you that all of them were killed and I survived" Zea finished, looking towards the high ceiling of his massive villa.

Azula tapped her fingers on her crossed legs, her sharp fingers roughly scratching the armor of her uniform. She looked at her "gracious" host with uncaring eyes, with a slight disgust in her expression. "You're crying…why?"

"What?"

"You're crying…" she repeated, this time with a bit of surprise. Can't he feel that he's crying?

With quivering hands, Zea reached for his widened eyes staring into the depths of nowhere. When it made contact with his cheek, it also made contact with the wet trail caused by the tears Azula stated. His hand gave a jolt of surprise and he looked at his fingers to confirm his suspicions. "Oh dear…" his smile crept back to his face "…well that's curious"

The former princess raised her eyebrow in slight apprehension "That's curious? What the hell? Don't you know when you're crying? What are you alexithymic or something?"

A humorless laugh escaped the red head's lips "I've haven't shed tears for so long I forgot how it felt"

Again, Azula's eyebrow raised. Although she's been with Zea for god knows how long, she's still not used to his special kind of weirdness. Of course, all things considered she's hardly normal herself.

Zea clapped his hands together, waking her out of her stupor as he stood up. "It's already midnight and it's time for us to retire, don't you think, princess?"

Letting out an exasperated sigh, she stood up and stretched a little. She hadn't realized how long they've been sitting there but apparently, it was long enough for her but to probably leave a permanent impression on the couch. Giving her nod of approval, both of them headed to their respective rooms upstairs to retire for the night

* * *

Zea walked into the guest room (Azula is using the master's bedroom after all) and headed straight for the bathroom. There, he stared at his reflection. The ever permanent smile on his lips turned into that of disgust as he took in what he looked like.

His eyes were red and puffy, rivers of clear liguid ran down his cheeks, disgustingly marring his features and his lower jaw quivered for no reason at all…

…_Repulsive…_

Why on earth is he crying?

…_Pathetic…_

Was it because of his recollection of the past?

…_Hopeless…_

Why only now is he crying?

His hands grabbed the edge of the sink and gripped it with so much strength it would probably make permanent marks on the expensive new black marble.

"_**DISGUSTING!"**_ he yelled with such force the light reflected in the mirror shattered the delicate glass. Shards of it flew at him, missing his face by mere centimeters.

His breaths came out in heavy pants as he tried to regain some composure. This room is the farthest room from the Master's bedroom so Zea was sure Azula was not able to hear his outburst.

After a few moments of contemplation, he looked down on the ruined sink, its edges destroyed by the grip of his hands. His hands were covered with blood, sliced by the shards of black marble. Raising it towards his face, he inspected his palms for the full extent of the damage.

Small rivers of red liquid danced in down his palm, tickling his skin and staining his white long sleeved uniform.

'…_It's red' _he thought to himself. The thought made him chuckle. Of course his blood is red! Is there any other color of blood out there?

Before he knew it, his small chuckle turned to an all-out laughter and he found himself on the floor of his bathroom, his hands gripping his head and a maniacal laughter echoing around the walls of the room.

"Prin…cess…" he said through gritted teeth, the laughter from an unknown reason preventing his from talking properly "…you…are…so…_**INTERESTING! Ahahahahahah!**_"

He absolutely doesn't know why he's laughing, or why he was crying. In fact, he doesn't know what he's _doing!_ He's harboring a wanted criminal, he's telling her his past and he's actually serving her. Why? Why is he all doing this? How can one girl disturb his peaceful, day-to-day life? Moreover, why did he allow her to disturb his life?

The moment he had calmed down, he stood up and headed for the shower. '_Why did I take you in, princess?'_ he thought to himself. He opened the curtain and the water and stripped out of his clothes.

"Oh, that's right…" he said as he watched his blood be washed away by the water running down his body "because I'm _**MAD!"**_

* * *

The warm sunlight hitting her face the reason why she woke up—it was the appetizing scent of breakfast. Zea found it 'interesting' to give her breakfast in bed. Today, she noticed he's back to normal. His smile was there, his eyes shone innocently in the sun—though she now knows he's not as innocent as he looks—and all in all, his back to his usual, cute, annoying self.

"Do you have any plans for today?" he asked.

"Not really…" she replied. The hunt for her head is still hot and if she steps outside this villa, then she might as well have surrendered herself to the authorities. People are spread all over the globe looking for her…including the avatar and his friends.

The thought made her temper flare. She gripped the fork in her hand so hard, it bent. The avatar's group was the reason for her downfall, the reason for the downfall of the fire nation. If it weren't for that bald, blue, dwarf, she would be sitting in her throne by now as the fire lord, her father the phoenix king and her brother beheaded in public!

"Those bastards…" she whispered, not really acknowledging Zea's presence near her. Speaking of which…

"Zea, are you sure you don't want to join me? I could give you the highest position over the empire. Hell, I'll give you the entire earth kingdom!"

Zea merely chuckled at her question "I'm pretty sure, princess. I'm quite satisfied here"

"But…" she was cut off by a bell ringing within the house "a guest?"

"Yup…it's not unusual for me to get a visitor every once in a while. Their normally businessmen, wishing to inquire about the silver lotus" he stood up from his position by the foot of the bed and headed for the door, giving his guest one last smile before disappearing into the hallways.

* * *

Zea walked slowly within the halls of his villa, contemplating on the qualities the makes Azula so...endearing…

_Hatred, anger, revenge, anarchy…these emotions that consist her, that builds her…_

The bell rang along the villa but he did not rush…there is no need to rush…

_If love is the light that people claim it to be, then are these emotions the shadow that was created under its vibrancy._

He paused by the top of the stairs. He looked up the ceiling with a thoughtful expression…

_Everything, I suppose, began with man's desire for power…mankind…always asking, never satisfied…forever insatiable_

He took the first step downwards, the doorbell once again ringing

_Their desire for power led to the first benders, each for representing the four elements. But for such a specie to hold that power…_

He stopped at the bottom of the stairs and he let a smile creep into his lips

…_is just mad._

He began to walk towards the door.

_People are competitive and before anyone knew it, each and every single one refused to understand each other for the sole purpose of getting the 'better deal'. The powerless lived monotonously…the powerful drowned in a sea of responsibility…_

Stopping just in front of the door, he looked back, towards the stairs he just descended

_In the end those with great power envied the simplicity of those who doesn't; those who doesn't have power envies those who have._

He chuckled at his train of thought as he opened the door. "Oh? Well this is interesting" he stared at two figures, hunched in front of his doorway.

"We've come for the princess" the first figure spoke

"We know she's here" the second continued

Zea gave them his trademark smile "I suppose you would know that she's here, since you've known her since birth…Lo…and Li"

**To be continued**

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